Iuz the Evil

Re: Essential Bad Champions GMs who make Champions Campaigns their own personal soapbox to espouse a given worldview (when that is a view not shared by one or more players at the table). Superheroes (not "people with super powers") being upstaged at every turn by the vastly superior forces of "normal guy with M-16 and tank" to the tune of "no no super-mega-hyper-man, you stay here and keep the muggers at bay... we'll go stop Professor Acidophalous and his Milk-flavored death ray with our badass cruise missiles". Excessive use of deux ex machina uber-supers who upstage the players on a weekly basis, leading to "why the hell are we doing this again?". Players or GM yelling at the other participant and being generally abusive. Repetitive and/or boring plot hooks (um... he's robbing the bank again? Really?! Didn't we kick his a$$ here three times last month?). Not enough food and/or drink for the people playing the game (munchies... bring me munchies!) ...those are a few that spring to mind.

Re: How do you feel about Superheroes that kill? Good one, I agree. Still like the ultra-violence though. Violence is attractive, but the level demonstrated in the Authority ultimately grows tedious rapidly as it lacks a cogent framework (at least it had done so by the time I stopped reading the comic, somewhere around where Seth had wupped the protagonists into the status quo's beaten, raped, and lobotomized puppets... literally in the Doctor's case). It's just "wow, this is even more graphic and over the top than last month's issue" at that point... big whoop. But I'd never, ever really describe what the Authority does in their later issues as heroic. More a reasonable response to the situations they find themselves in... After all, if someone had done to me what the evil doctor did to the Authority members, I might have responded similarly. I mean sheesh, he goes back in time and molests one of them as a child for cryin' out loud, just to show he can. More likely I'd just smoke the bastard and walk away though. My ability to empathize with their situation is somewhat impaired by my lack of painful, monthly, abject humiliation and pain (and I'm ok with that).

Re: Why Kill At All?

Re: How do you feel about Superheroes that kill? I agree with RDU Neil's post that context is critical, and that there's room for both options. My primary posts in this thread have been supporting the concept that I personally prefer to see at least a minimal "heroic reluctance to kill", but that's due to the fact I don't conceptualize superheroes as part of a police officer/soldier continuum. More of a social activist actually, which would absolutely not imho give them any leeway to use lethal force save in clear situations of self-defense (as in hopelessly outmatched by lethal supervillain and "whoopsie! My bad... honest"). The Emperor Joker/Superman argument is one I find little appeal to, due to the fact that it assumes that "no other option is avaliable" vs. the Man of Steel's perception that "there's always another option". Clearly in this case, there was another option... as the DCU is still intact and all of Joker's damage was readily repaired. Sure you can argue that Supes had no way of knowing that the 5th dimensional deux ex machina would prevent multidimensional genocide, but hasn't he been through this before about a bazillion times? I'd call that an informed risk, which in this case paid off. He has repeatedly stated that he regrets his execution of the 3 kryptonians, and I personally consider it very continuity consistent for them to have him extremely resistant to killing (20 point CvK)... at least until the next writer completely revises his stance on this due to a "new direction". He does however apparently not draw the line at serious bodily harm, as he's willing to burn the legs of normals with heat vision to incapacitate them for example. I also like the Authority's use of lethal force frankly, although the ultra-violence is excessive and often ridiculous. I think most people reject that comic due to it's political statements being rather heavy handed (not moreso than lots of stuff out there though, on both sides of the political spectrum... for every Authority Comic there's an Ann Coulter or the equivalent, after all). Political differences aside, given the villains, the assaults on their lives and well-being of such horrific nature, and the absolutely massive civilian deaths... well, I can absolutely see any group of PCs I ever played with going postal on the bad guys after maybe 10% of what the Authority was subjected to, and walking right out of the game if you get up to the level depicted in the comic. Anyway, all rambling aside, I think it's clearly a genre influenced choice. Likewise the personal preference of the GM/Players must be a major factor in the game's use of lethal force. YMMV of course.

Re: How do you feel about Superheroes that kill? Well, for those who don't like Superman's (in my mind admirable and heroic) reluctance to use deadly force against those he determines "deserve it", you can always turn to that ever-so-popular alternative who has essentially the same power set and freely chooses to use his powers to (in his judgement) eliminate threats to global safety permenantly. I speak of course, of Apollo from the Authority. What's that? You think that Apollo is a homocidal nutjob who kills indiscriminately? Well, you say "potato"...

Re: How do you feel about Superheroes that kill? I am reminded of one of my favorite lines from the Incredibles "Valuing life does not make you weak" (or words to that effect). I don't really have a problem with heroes who kill, so long as it's either a genre convention (iron age vs. silver), it's character-consistent, or there is some huge threat (say, like 3 silver-age kryptonians who inform the hero they will be killing all life Earth just as soon as they get free... and they will get free) which cannot be reasonably resolved by other means. Needs to advance the story and not be completely out of left field making me go "wtf?!", that's pretty much my bottom line on "superheroes who kill". I also agree with the idea that the specific writer over an extended run of a hero's comic will have a huge impact on the relative "point cost" of the CvK the hero has. The writer's ability to respect the character and write true to the character's continuity and values has a big impact on how much I enjoy the story.

Re: How do you feel about Superheroes that kill? Depends on the genre of superhero. If it's Silver Age, they're very naughty. Iron Age, and it almost defines the genre. A hero who doesn't kill in an Iron Age comic is either very principled or... well, dead. And another factor is the level of the "CvK" the hero exhibits. Do they plunge into grave danger to save the hired goon of the supervillain (or the villain themself) from the crashing supervehicle they just tried to ram into a bus-load full of nuns? Or pretty much "collateral death due to own actions" is ok? Killing is definitely a line that differentiates one type of genre/hero from another, but I don't think of it as "cut and dried"... rather more of a plot construct or story enhancement.

Re: What makes a good villian?? Persistence... as the villain is inevitably going to lose, having the gumption to dust themself off and "try, try again" is a must. Oh, and some relational quality that makes them significant to the hero is always good too. Either expressing themself as some form of polar opposite of the one they oppose (a la Joker v. Batman, or Doomsday v. Superman) or having some previously existing relationship with their nemesis (a la Green Goblin v. Spider-man).

Re: Rewrite your PC(s) as Iron Age Villians! VINDICATOR -> A rogue member of the U.S. Army's ill-fated "Super Soldier" program, Vindicator became a black ops mercenary working for a secret cabal of NSA and corporate conspirators. His adaptive invulnerability and cybernetically augmented strength/reflexes made him a highly lethal adversary, given his high level of training in a variety of martial disciplines. His ultimate fate is unknown, but it is believed based on an anonymous videotape recieved by the agency that his most recent adversary (a member of a radical social-activist anti-hero group of extreme power levels) killed him outright in single combat with a solar energy blast powerful enough to decapitate him instantly (hence his inability to adapt and become resistant to the attack form). THE SINGULARITY -> Dr. David Somner became the arch-villain known as the Singularity through manipulation of a distant stellar mass during unsanctioned experimentation on human subjects. His subjects failed to survive the experimentation, but the peripheral energies granted Dr. Somner amazing abilities to manipulate mass and gravity. He immediately developed a megalomaniacal "god-complex" and commenced to begin his ill-fated attempt to conquer the planet. The paranormal hero known as "Psiren" killed Dr. Somner with her mind-control, by causing his mass/gravity-manipulating powers to become unstable... resulting in his instantaneous implosion into a speck of super-compressed matter.

Re: The Essential Bad Silver Age Any of the myriad titles (Avengers did this a lot) which depicted "our heroes" as being menaced by gun-wielding thugs... when you knew there was literally as much menace there as from a band of angry kindergarteners, actually probably far less. Matter-Eater Lad... nuff said. The recurrent "this issue a(n) Avenger Dies!" (insert X-Man, JLA, what have you) where that was rarely the case and when it was they returned almost instantaneously through some miraculous deux ex machina. Death is still something rarely handled well in comics, but they hit some impressive lows during the Silver Age that only are matched by the similar (if opposite) excesses in the Iron Age. The Dr. Strange issues where he battles Eternity. Not sure how that's supposed to happen. The Dazzler as first introduced... /shudder. Yes, shamelessly cash in on the disco craze! Yes! YES!!

Re: Batman vs Midnighter

Re: Champions Board Character Creation "Woodsman Axe-Strike" 2d6 HKA (4d6 w/ STR), only in hero ID (-1/4) (30 Active Points, 24 Real Cost) Instant Change (5 points)

Re: Of course we're criminals. We have to be. Well, seeing that in the campaign I'm playing in (not the PBEM however) has the authorities being the bad guys about 50%+ of the time or at least sponsoring them... and since it's pretty much a world with a vast governmental conspiracy to engender distrust of the 'non-sanctioned' supers, round them up, and incarcerate them without due process away from the light of day... and since the majority of the hero's actions involve keeping the public safe from casual killer federal superagents masquerading as 'supervillains' to engender this distrust and pursue various illicit corporate interests... screw what the public thinks! Of course in that scenario, it pretty much really IS "of course we're criminals. We have to be." More traditional style campaigns, I've played in... sometimes it comes up, sometimes it doesn't. Depends on the actions of the players. Heck I had one PC in a campaign I was GMing run for the Senate after a major "world saving" adventure captured on television. I was pretty unprepared for that, but figured what the hell and let him win (who's not going to vote for the guy who just saved your life, your family's life, and your friend's life... and nobody's contesting that fact). So this big, smart, brick became the junior Democratic Senator from New York and retired from superheroing. I considered this a tremendous waste of talent, but hey, it made for a great story arc! And what the heck, he's got the LS: immune to aging so it's not like he won't have the time to pursue varied interests in the future...

Re: Batman vs Midnighter Any time that a single member of the Authority is mentioned on these boards, I feel that a trip to hater-town is in order. Riding the hater-vater on down to enjoy a big old glass of hater-ade. To that I find myself wondering, "Why you got to be a hater?" You would thiink this run of comics would be the worst in history, right up there with Lois Lane #106 (where Lois announces "It's important I live the next 24 hours as a black woman!") and Pinhead and Foodini #1. Sheesh.

Re: WWYCD?: More shooting stars... Vindicator - would wonder if this was part of a vast government conspiracy, keep an eye out for threats to the Sacramento area, and do his best to minimize casualties among the civilian population. He'd also try to assess whether he would survive an attack by one of the aliens, and attempt to expose himself to whatever attack form they use at a reduced level (so as to activate his "adaptive invulnerability" prior to engaging them). Avatar - would fly right up to the first alien landing-site he encounters, greet them and ask their business. If the alien got confrontational, he would confidently inform them his intent to prevent any threat to Earth and tell them to depart immediately. If the alien declines to do so, he'd likely try to kill them a la Authority/Stormwatch/Supreme Power (no really). Singularity - Would gather more information, come up with a well thought out plan, and consider the social ramifications of this event prior to taking any action. Once he determines action is needed, he'd teleport to the vicinity of the crash-site and gear up for it - likely trying to lure the aliens into each other's vicinity and hope that conflict arises between them if that appears feasible.

Re: Batman vs Midnighter Yeah, I think Batman would do a little better than Cap, but ultimately the Midnighter is designed to be effectively unbeatable in hand-to-hand combat by anyone of remotely human level power. That's what the authors/writers of the Authority created the character for, to be an invincible iconic superhuman-martial artist, emphasis on invincible. Given time to prepare, Bats could win out, as that's his genre speciality imho. Far more so than martial arts or gadgeteering, he's the master detective without peer. One on one, no prep time, on a street? Midnighter would punch a hole in Batman's cranium. Or commit some other graphic mutilation of him... but since Midnighter is the Authority's "Batman-clone" I guess that'd be punching a hole in his own cranium? Ahhh... screw it. I say it's the Midnighter in one round. P.S. "no prep time or intelligence on either side" - oh yeah, I'm sticking with the Midnighter on this one.

Re: Quote of the Week from my gaming group... Dude, I LOVE stale Peeps. First thing I do is open the container and put it on top of the frige. Don't eat for a couple days minimum, usually more like a week. My dad taught me the glory of the stale marshmellow figures, I am in turn teaching my daughter. She'll be a third generation stale peep consumer. Hmmm... that's a rather disturbing statement right there.

Re: MPD and the villian goes crazy Very cool character concept, and let me first of all state my admiration for the complexity of the build you are undertaking here. Now, we're talking "multiple personality disorder" as referenced from movies, television (/cough, lifetime channel, /cough), and novels right? If you are trying to accurately frame a dissociative identity disorder (as it is properly defined), it would be somewhat different than is commonly portrayed in mainstream media. Just curious, I've been seeing a lot of psychological referents lately, and was assuming that you're going "comic book MPD" (as would be only appropriate). If you want info on more "real world" mental illness constructs I'd be happy to provide information relevant to the topic, otherwise - neat concept, would be a blast to fight such a nemesis.

Re: Character for Review - Avatar Ok, here's what I'm submitting... I'll also make any changes to the final submission that are forthcoming following GM feedback (if any), on this posting. So without further ado... Overarching concept - exploration of what it means to be human, themes of transition age (moving from adolescence to adulthood) and coming to grips with power and responsibility. Growing up fast, and the costs associated with that. And of course the campaign themes of celebrity, etc. Avatar (Erich Kreiger) 60/75* Str. 50 CHA Cost = 269 23 Dex. 39 Power Cost = 476 30 Con. 40 Total Cost = 750 20 Body 20 13 Int. 3 Phases: 2,4,6,8,10,12 18 Ego 16 OCV: 8 25 Pre. 15 DCV: 8 20 Com. 5 ECV: 6 30 PD 18 30 ED 24 6 Spd. 30 20 Rec. 8 80 End. 10 75 Stun 0 Pts. Power 10 I’m Not Impressed!: +15 PRE (only to defend against PRE attacks -1/2) 10 Superhuman Strength: +15 STR, doesn’t affect figured stats (-1/2) 60 Nigh Invulnerable: Damage Resistance (30 PD/30 ED), Hardened x2, non- resistant defense also Hardened x2 (+1) (60 Active Points) 30 Even More Invulnerable Than That!: 50% resistant physical damage reduction 30 Even More Invulnerable Than That!(II): 50% resistant energy damage reduction 37 Impervious to Environments: LifeSupport (Eating Character only has to eat once per week; Extended Breathing 1 END per Turn; Immunity All terrestrial diseases and biowarfare agents; Immunity All terrestrial poisons and chemical warfare agents; Longevity Immortal; Safe in High Pressure; Safe in High Radiation; Safe in Intense Cold; Safe in Intense Heat; Safe in Low Pressure/Vacuum; Sleeping Character only has to sleep 8 hours per week) 20 Boundless Reserves: 20 points Power Defense 13 Will of Iron: 20 points Mental Defense; Half Defense vs Mind Control: Slightly (-1/4) 14 Absurd Recovery from Damage: Healing 2d6, Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), Persistent (+1/2) (40 Active Points); Extra Time (1 Turn (Post-Segment 12), -1 1/4), Self Only (-1/2) [no healing max., see FRED p. 120] 15 Utterly Without Flaws: -15 Lack of Weakness 75 Incredible Strength and Energy Tricks: Multipower, 75-point reserve 3u 1) All Tied Up with Nowhere to Go!: Entangle 7d6, 7 DEF (70 Active Points); De fense Depends On Material Used (-1/2), Extra Time (Full Phase, -1/2), No Range (-1/2), OIF (appropriate material of opportunity) (-1/2), Cannot Form Bar riers (-1/4) 5u 2) Crunch!: Dispel Technological Objects 20d6, One At A Time (+1/4) (75 Active Points); No Range (-1/2) 3u 3) Super-Strength Smash-Through: Tunneling 1" through 18 DEF material (56 Active Points); 2x END Cost (-1/2), No Noncombat Movement (-1/4) 4u 4) Tear You Limb From Limb: HKA 2 1/2d6 (5d6 w/STR) (40 Active Points) 4u 5) Energy Bolt (Variable EM Blast): 4d6 RKA, variable special effects (various EM energies +1/4), 2x END Cost (-1/2) 4u 6) Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP): 2d6 Energy Blast, NND (Defense is force field or resistant Energy Damage Reduction) (+1), Attack Does Body (+1), Explosion (+1/2), Megascale (1" = 10km; + 1/2), can be scaled down to 1" = 10m (+1/2), No Range (-1/2) (60 Active Points) 4u 7) Mega-Blast (WIdespectrum EM Blast): 3d6+1 RKA, AE:Hex (+1/2), 2xEND Cost (-1/2), Extra Time (Full Phase, -1/2) 5u 8) Blinded by the Lightfield: Darkness to Sight Group 4" radius, Personal Immu nity (+1/4) (50 Active Points) 4u 9) Holographic Projections: Sight Group Images x8" Radius (+3/4), +4 to PER Roll (38 Active Points) 1u 10) Power Device: Aid Endurance 4d6 (40 Active Points); Technological/ Electricity-based END Only (-1), Only Restores to Starting Values (-1/2), Others Only (-1/2), Costs Endurance (-1/2) 5u 11) Sunflash: Sight Group Flash 5d6, Personal Immunity (+1/4), Explosion (+1/2) (26 Active Points) with linked Radio Group Flash 5d6, Personal Immunity (+1/4), Explosion (+1/2) (17 Active Points) 6u 12) Electromagnetic Mastery: Suppress Electromagnetic Powers 4d6, All Powers Simultaneously (+2) (60 Active Points) 30 Hyper-Movement : Multipower, 30-point reserve, (30 Active Points) 2u 2) Overdrive Flight: Flight 10", Megascale (1" = 1 km; +1/4) (24 Active Points) 3u 3) Defies Gravity!: Flight 15", Improved Noncombat Movement (x2) (30 Active Points) 4 Swift Sight: Sight Group, Megascale (1" = 1 km; +1/4) (6 Active Points); Only To See Path Ahead While Moving With Mega-Scale (-1/2) 20 Cloak from EM Detection: Invisibility to Sight and Additional Sense Groups, No Fringe (40 Active Points); Electronic Based Sensors only (-1) 3 Full Spectrum Vision I: Infrared Perception (Sight Group), costs END (-1/2) 3 Full Spectrum Vision II: Ultraviolet Perception (Sight Group), costs END (-1/2) 5 Stare into the Heart of the Sun!: 5 points sight group Flash Defense Pts. Skills 24 +3 levels with all combat 3 Conversation 3 Deduction 3 Linguist (German is native) 2 Language: English (idiomatic) (4 Active Points) 1 Language: French (completely fluent) (3 Active Points) 1 Language: Spanish (completely fluent) (3 Active Points) 1 Language: Russian (completely fluent) (3 Active Points) 2 Navigation (Air) Disadvantages: Pts. Social Limitation: Public Identity (frequently, major) 15 Overconfidence (common, strong) 15 No Code vs. Killing (common) 10 Fearless (common, strong) 15 Protective of Earth and All It’s Inhabitants (common, strong) 15 Honorable – his word is his bond, won’t betray (common, strong) 15 Distinctive Features (aura of incredible power, Concealable; Always Noticed and Causes Major Reaction; Detectable By Commonly-Used Senses) 15 Distinctive Features (massive, incredibly handsome, noticed, concealable; detectable by commonly-used senses) 10 Watched by German Government, 14/less 15 Watched by Secret Government Cabal, 11/less 10 Reputation, incredibly strong and invulnerable, frequently 11/less, (major, widely known) 15 Height: 1.97 m Hair: Blond Weight: 130.00 kg Eyes: Blue Appearance: Avatar wears a red and white bodysuit with half-mask. He is powerfully muscled, incredibly handsome, and virtually radiates palpable might. He moves with lithe grace and incredible self-assuredness, having almost never experienced pain of any kind in the last decade or so of life. Personality: Protect the Earth, promote justice, find his place in the world. In that order. Quote:"Ergib Dich oder stirb - Deine Entscheidung" ("Surrender or die, your choice") Background: Erich Krieger, born in Brandenburg two weeks after the "seeding", has been aware of his powers from his earliest memories. He was raised by his parents in Berlin and had a fairly positive and nurturing childhood. His mother, a linguist assigned with the United Nations diplomatic corps, was often away on business, but took him with her on several extended trips, and made significant efforts to be an active part of Erich’ childhood. His father was an elementary school administrator, and considerably more avaliable to his precocious son. As they had suspected, Erich’s gifts were difficult to conceal, and ultimately resulted in his abandoning the idea of a "secret identity" entirely in recent months. By latency age, his ability to fly and incredible speed and strength were developing rapidly, exceeding the wildest expectations of his adolescent fantasies. His powers over electromagnetic energies were considerably less well defined, resulting in several embarrassing episodes (and lots of burned out electronics in the Krieger household). Erich’s mother was killed during an auto accident while traveling abroad just after his sixteenth birthday by a drunk driver, and he spent several days isolated in his room pondering the meaninglessness of her loss. His father eventually motivated him to leave, and they engaged in disussion deep into the night about what this meant for them, their family, and the future. He continues to do his best to live by the example set by his father, to make a difference in the world, and holding his word to be his bond ("Ein Wort eines Mannes ist sein Band"). Erich spent the next several years practicing in secret to perfect his control over his powers and conceal his gifts. He was ready to commence his "superheroics" when a gas main exploded near the Alexanderplatz. While in the process of saving several dozen people from the fiery conflagration, Erich’s image was recorded by television cameras. Quickly his identity was discerned, and he found himself the center of a media circus. For the last two months, Avatar has been actively working to use his gifts for the betterment of the world around him. He conceptualizes himself as a "Defender of the Earth", and does his best to hold himself apart from the conflicts of nation-states (though he has acted on behalf of the Bundesrepublik Deutschland on several occasions when requested to do so). More and more however, he finds it difficult to relate to the people he protects. He’s stopped using his given name for the most part, calling himself Avatar (based on a headline which referred to him as an "Avatar der Macht" – or Avatar of Power). Aside from the occasional hedonistic indulgence, he actually requires very little… certainly not food, rest, or shelter. His ability to meaningfully relate to the world which he protects is something which Avatar has begun to seriously question in recent weeks. Powers/Tactics: Avatar generally follows the maxim of "meet force with overwhelming force". He has a variety of methods for applying almost inconcievable physical might, which he does not hesitate to do with little regard for the consequences to his designated target. His ability to manipulate energies in the electromagnetic spectrum is growing in power and versatility, and he has begun employing these powers in ways both subtle and impressive. His initial reluctance to kill has completely evaporated after several high casualty conflicts with armed opponents, and he now uses lethal force virtually without thought in response to aggression. Avatar does concern himself with the risk to innocents however, perhaps a holdover from the loss of his mother. If possible, he’ll steer conflict away from populated areas, fragile structures, and civilians. His virtual invulnerability has resulted in overconfidence, as he has begun to believe himself incapable of being hurt. This is not factually true, and experiencing the results of this lack of caution may result in greater tactical savvy in the future.

Re: Character for Review - Avatar Probably not. I have to re-nerf the whole thing anyway, as I just became aware he's 100 points too low. 750?! Ah well, guess I'll get rid of some of the CON rolls and revamp his multipower to take into account the limits. I need to read these things more carefully. That or buy that Hero Designer software.

Re: Character for Review - Avatar Yeah, well, it's not quite as obscene as the megascale knockback punch I stole it from (thank you Enforcer), but after all this is my initial submission. I figure that he may get 'tweaked' by the GM on review, and I will either have to shave yet more points, or have a few extra to play with after a couple more outrageous powers are 'nerfed'. That's assuming the GM is interested enough by the concept to not just deny him altogether of course. Anyway, I figure that the megascale throw should be worth a shot heh. Oh, and thank you for the abomination comment, which gave me the warm fuzzies, as that's exactly what I was going for. 650 points, sheesh! My only excuse is that I was drunk with power.

Re: Character for Review - Avatar Y'know, this character reminded me of the "status of normals" thread. He's almost tough enough to take on a tank. Heh heh heh. Sorry, that just sort of slipped out. So, anyway... I figure if he can't mega-haymaker his way through the Abrams' front armor, he could throw it into orbit?

Re: Character for Review - Avatar It's an iron age PBEM with rather unpleasant body multiples prior to defenses for superheroic powers. At least that's what I understand from what I've read.

Re: Character for Review - Avatar Ok, let's try that again... here's my revamped (and hopefully more "rules consistent") uber-brick, now with new-improved secret identity and quotes. Thanks to all who helped with the process. Avatar (Erich Kreiger) 60/75* Str. 50 CHA Cost = 230 20 Dex. 30 Power Cost = 420 20/30* Con. 20 Total Cost = 650 20 Body 20 13 Int. 3 Phases: 3,6,9,12 or 2,4,6,8,10,12 18 Ego 16 OCV: 7 25 Pre. 15 DCV: 7 20 Com. 5 ECV: 6 30 PD 18 30 ED 26 4/6* Spd. 10 16 Rec. 0 70 End. 15 65 Stun 2 Pts. Power 10 I’m Not Impressed!: +15 PRE (only to defend against PRE attacks -1/2) 10 Shakes Off Mighty Blows!: +10 CON, only to resist being stunned (-1) 20 Doesn’t Tire Easily: 1/2 END Cost, STR. 13 Moves with Lightning Swiftness!: +2 SPD, costs END to use (-1/2) 10 Blinding Speed in Combat: +3 levels with hand to hand combat, linked to “Moves with Lightning Swiftness†+2 SPD (-1/2) 10 Superhuman Strength: +15 STR, doesn’t affect figured stats (-1/2) 45 Nigh Invulnerable: Damage Resistance (30 PD/30 ED), Hardened x2 (+1/2) (45 Active Points) 20 Even More Invulnerable Than That!: 50% resistant physical damage reduction; requires a successful CON roll (-1/2) 10 Somewhat More Invulnerable Than That!: 25% resistant energy damage reduction; requires a successful CON roll (-1/2) 37 Impervious to Environments: LifeSupport (Eating Character only has to eat once per week; Extended Breathing 1 END per Turn; Immunity All terrestrial diseases and biowarfare agents; Immunity All terrestrial poisons and chemical warfare agents; Longevity Immortal; Safe in High Pressure; Safe in High Radiation; Safe in Intense Cold; Safe in Intense Heat; Safe in Low Pressure/Vacuum; Sleeping Character only has to sleep 8 hours per week) 20 Boundless Reserves: 20 points Power Defense 13 Will of Iron: 20 points Mental Defense; Half Defense vs Mind Control: Slightly (-1/4) 14 Absurd Recovery from Damage: Healing 2d6, Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), Persistent (+1/2) (40 Active Points); Extra Time (1 Turn (Post-Segment 12), -1 1/4), Self Only (-1/2) [no healing max., see FRED p. 120] 15 Utterly Without Flaws: -15 Lack of Weakness 75 Incredible Strength Tricks: Multipower, 75-point reserve 7u 1) All Tied Up with Nowhere to Go!: Entangle 7d6, 7 DEF (70 Active Points); Defense Depends On Material Used (-1/2), Extra Time (Full Phase, -1/2), No Range (-1/2), OIF (appropriate material of opportunity) (-1/2), Cannot Form Barriers (-1/4) 7u 2) Crunch!: Dispel Technological Objects 20d6, One At A Time (+1/4) (75 Active Points); No Range (-1/2) 3u 3) Shockwave clap: AE:Cone on up to 75 STR (75 Active Points); Extra Time (Full Phase, -1/2), Restrainable (-1/2) 3u 4) Unrestrainable Might: +75 STR (75 Active Points); Only to determine Casual Strength (-1 1/2), No Figured Characteristics (-1/2) 3u 5) Super-Strength Smash-Through: Tunneling 1" through 18 DEF material (56 Active Points); 2x END Cost (-1/2), No Noncombat Movement (-1/4) 1u 6) Barrier Penetration: Indirect (attack always originates up to the character's reach in front of him; +1/4) for up to 75 Active Points of STR (19 Active Points); 2x END Cost (-1/2) 4u 7) Tear You Limb From Limb: HKA 2 1/2d6 (5d6 w/STR) (40 Active Points) 2u 8) Stronger than A Locomotive: +75 STR (75 Active Points); Only To Stop Moving Objects (-2), No Figured Characteristics (-1/2) 3u 9) Distance Punch: Double Knockback (+3/4) for up to 75 Active Points of STR (56 Active Points); Increased Endurance Cost (x2 END; -1/2) 3u 10) Penetrating Blow: Armor Piercing (+1/2) for up to 75 Active Points of STR (37 Active Points) 2u 11) Stratospheric Throw: MegaScale (1" = 10 km; +1/2) for up to 75 Active Points of STR (38 Active Points); Increased Endurance Cost (x2 END; -1/2); Only to Determine Distance Throwing An Object (-1/2) 2u 12) Mega- Haymaker: HA +8d6 (40 Active Points); Only When Using Haymaker To Punch (- 1), Hand-To-Hand Attack (-1/2) 30 Hyper-Movement : Multipower, 30-point reserve, (30 Active Points) 2u 2) Overdrive Flight: Flight 10", Megascale (1" = 1 km; +1/4) (24 Active Points) 3u 3) Defies Gravity!: Flight 15", Improved Noncombat Movement (x2) (30 Active Points) 4 Swift Sight: Sight Group, Megascale (1" = 1 km; +1/4) (6 Active Points); Only To See Path Ahead While Moving With Mega-Scale (-1/2) Pts. Skills 3 Conversation 3 Deduction 3 Linguist (German is native) 2 Language: English (idiomatic) (4 Active Points) 1 Language: French (completely fluent) (3 Active Points) 1 Language: Spanish (completely fluent) (3 Active Points) 1 Language: Russian (completely fluent) (3 Active Points) 2 Navigation (Air) 3 Oratory Disadvantages: Pts. Social Limitation: Public Identity (frequently, major) 15 Overconfidence (common, strong) 15 No Code vs. Killing (common) 10 Fearless (common, strong) 15 Protective of Earth and All It’s Inhabitants (common, strong) 15 Honorable – his word is his bond, won’t betray (common, strong) 15 Distinctive Features (aura of incredible power, Concealable; Always Noticed and Causes Major Reaction; Detectable By Commonly-Used Senses) 15 Distinctive Features (massive, incredibly handsome, noticed, concealable; detectable by commonly-used senses) 10 Watched by German Government, 14/less 15 Watched by Secret Government Cabal, 11/less 10 Reputation, incredibly strong and invulnerable, frequently 11/less, (major, widely known) 15 Height: 1.97 m Hair: Blond Weight: 130.00 kg Eyes: Blue Appearance: Avatar wears a red and white bodysuit with half-mask. He is powerfully muscled, incredibly handsome, and virtually radiates palpable might. He moves with lithe grace and incredible self-assuredness, having almost never experienced pain of any kind in the last decade or so of life. Personality: Protect the Earth, promote justice, find his place in the world. In that order. Quote:"Ergib Dich oder stirb - Deine Entscheidung" (“Surrender or die, your choiceâ€) Background: Erich Krieger, born in Brandenburg two weeks after the “seedingâ€, has been aware of his powers from his earliest memories. He was raised by his parents in Berlin and had a fairly positive and nurturing childhood. His mother, a linguist assigned with the United Nations diplomatic corps, was often away on business, but took him with her on several extended trips, and made significant efforts to be an active part of Erich’ childhood. His father was an elementary school administrator, and considerably more avaliable to his precocious son. As they had suspected, Erich’s gifts were difficult to conceal, and ultimately resulted in his abandoning the idea of a “secret identity†entirely in recent months. By latency age, his ability to fly and incredible speed and strength were developing rapidly, exceeding the wildest expectations of his adolescent fantasies. Erich’s mother was killed during an auto accident while traveling abroad just after his sixteenth birthday by a drunk driver, and he spent several days isolated in his room pondering the meaninglessness of her loss. His father eventually motivated him to leave, and they engaged in disussion deep into the night about what this meant for them, their family, and the future. He continues to do his best to live by the example set by his father, to make a difference in the world, and holding his word to be his bond (“Ein Wort eines Mannes ist sein Bandâ€). Erich spent the next several years practicing in secret to perfect his control over his powers and conceal his gifts. He was ready to commence his “superheroics†when a gas main exploded near the Alexanderplatz. While in the process of saving several dozen people from the fiery conflagration, Erich’s image was recorded by television cameras. Quickly his identity was discerned, and he found himself the center of a media circus. For the last two months, Avatar has been actively working to use his gifts for the betterment of the world around him. He conceptualizes himself as a “Defender of the Earthâ€, and does his best to hold himself apart from the conflicts of nation-states (though he has acted on behalf of the Bundesrepublik Deutschland on several occasions when requested to do so). More and more however, he finds it difficult to relate to the people he protects. He’s stopped using his given name for the most part, calling himself Avatar (based on a headline which referred to him as an “Avatar der Macht†– or Avatar of Power). Aside from the occasional hedonistic indulgence, he actually requires very little… certainly not food, rest, or shelter. His ability to meaningfully relate to the world which he protects is something which Avatar has begun to seriously question in recent weeks. Powers/Tactics: Avatar generally follows the maxim of “meet force with overwhelming forceâ€. He has a variety of methods for applying almost inconcievable physical might, which he does not hesitate to do with little regard for the consequences to his designated target. His initial reluctance to kill has completely evaporated after several high casualty conflicts with armed opponents, and he now uses lethal force virtually without thought in response to aggression. Avatar does concern himself with the risk to innocents however, perhaps a holdover from the loss of his mother. If possible, he’ll steer conflict away from populated areas, fragile structures, and civilians. His virtual invulnerability has resulted in overconfidence, as he has begun to believe himself incapable of being hurt. This is not factually true, and experiencing the results of this lack of caution may result in greater tactical savvy in the future.

Re: Character for Review - Avatar Extremely useful, thanks! I'm having trouble re-tooling him to be "rules legal" with the E/Cs. Tossing them out basically, as I can't find a way to make them have utility for him and still be cost effective (likely due to my unfamiliarity with 5th Ed. Hero). He jumped right up to 800+ points at that stage, and I'm having to shave a LOT of costs. I'll re-post once he's revamped. Any assistance continues to be greatly appreciated.